Container feed for filling machines



March 6, 1945. J KANTOR CONTAINER FEED FOR FILLING MACHINE Filed April 2, 1942 Patented Mar. 6, 1945 UNITED STAT-E PATENT DFF'ICE CONTAINER FEED FOR FILLING MACHINES James Kantor, Chicaga; 111., assignor to The '7 Liquid Carbonic Corporation, Chicago, 111., a

corporation of Delaware Application April 2, 1942; Serial No. 437,383

6 Claims. 198-22) apparatus.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a, positive feed for receiving the bottles from a delivery mechanism and transferring them to a bottle handling apparatus, such; for instance, as a crowning apparatus in a positive manner and adefinite spaced relation.

More specifically, it is an object of my invention to provide a screw feed. which will deliver the bottles in the radial direction toward the carrier mechanism of the bottle handling apparatus. l y

A further object of my invention is to provide a screw feed attachment which may be readily applied to the present type of apparatus now commercially on the market, without modification of this apparatus.

For the purpose of disclosing my invention, Iv

have illustrated an embodimentthereof in the accompanying drawing in -which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of'the table of a bottle crowning apparatus now in commercial use show-' ing the application thereto of my improved feed mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2, 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevationshowing means for attaching my feed mechanismto the crcwner table; and

Fig. 4 is a detail section on line 4, 4 of Fig. 2.

In the embodiment illustrated, Ihave shown so much of a commercial type of crowning machine as is necessary for the understanding of my invention. In this structure; on a suitable base, there is provided a table I through which is projected a hollow rotary shaft 2 carrying, at its upper end, a plurality of bottle crowning devices and provided with a carrying star 2'. which rotates above the table and moves the delivered bott es in a circular path during the operation of the crowner mechanisms.

The bottles are transferred from, in the specific embodiment illustrated, a filling machine, the spider gear ring 4 of which only is illustrated, by the means of a rotating disc 5 rotating above the top of the table I. coincidental with the axis of the disc 5 are arranged suitable bottle guides 6, which merge into a bottle guidesprin s 9 and I0 so. that in event of a jam of the bottles, the guides can give slightly to prevent breaking of the bottles.

Extending radially. from the conveyor star 2 is a worm screw H ,which, it will --be noted, tapers from its enlarged ends toward the center. This worm screw H is arranged radially with respect to the conveyor star 2 and is mounted on a radially disposed shaft 12 carried in a housing 53 which housing'is open on its side toward the feed disc 5. One end ofgthe shaft 12 is mounted in a bearing [4 in the inner end of. the 'housing and the opposite endof the shaft is keyed within a hub l5 of a bevel gear lfi-which hub operates in a bearing I! at the opposite end 'ofthehousing;

rying a bearing12l and'at its bottom with a bearing 22. In these bearings is mounted a, vertically'disposed shaft 23carrying, at ts top, a

bevel gear 24 meshing with'and driving the bevel likewise driven.

clamps 36 are sufiiciently loosenedto permit'the'.

gear l6. Likewise, mounted on the. shaft 23 is a driving pinion 25 which is adapted to drive the shaft l5 through the medium of an overload clutch comprising a spring pressed beveled pawl member 23 in the hub of the pinion 25 andadapted to engage in a bevel slot 21 in the shaft 23. ;Thispinion 25 is driven from a gear 28 mounted on a stub shaft 28 Supported on a platform 29 in thetable base. This gear 28 mturn is driven from an intermediate gear 29' also.

supported on the platform 29. The gear 29' in turn is driven from agear 30 mounted on the hollow shaft 2 below thetable top. Also mounted on stub shaft 28' below the gear 28 is a gear 30' fastened to or integral with the gear 28, This gear drives a gear 3| on the shaft of the disc 5 so that the disc is driven from the shaft,.2 andfrom,-the same power take-off, the shaft 23 is The gear housing is arcuate in shape and is provided near its top with anannular flange 32 on hich is adapted to rest the annular flange 33 on the bottom of the rear portion of the housing l3. This flange 33, at suitable intervals.

is provided with ears 34 through which pass bolts 35 adaptedto secure clamps 36 in position. Theseclamps are provided with inwardly extending flanges 31 which engage under the flange 32 for clamping the housing l3 tothehousing l8. At the same time, by loosening the bolts 35; the

housing l3 to swing'on the axis of the shaft 23. For maintaining theihousing l8 in its fixed This and normal position, the housing [3 is provided with a web 38 through which is adapted to pass a bolt 39 adapted to screw into the table top so that when the housing nd the feed screw II are in normal position, they are rigidly held.

The feed screw is provided, in its inner bearing surface, with a slot adapted to slidably receive a key 40 so that the screw will be drivinglykeyed to the shaft I2 and the feed screw is held against longitudinal displacement by a set screw 4| pass ing through the feed screw and biting into the shaft I2. The shaft I2 is likewise keyed to the hub I5 of the gear I6, which hub is held against longitudinal displacement, to the right looking at Fig. 4, by a shoulder 42 forming part gear I6.

During the operationof the apparatus, the

of a bevel screw, the guide 6 will swing oriits pivotand permit the bottle to slide into its correct position.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a bottle handling machine including'a rotary star dial for moving the containers through the path of said machine, a feeding screw larger in diameter at each end and tapering toward, the center 'extending'radially with respect to said star and receiving the conbottles are received from the filling machine and take the course shown in dotted lines. They are transferred from the filling machine to a rotating disc 5 which, rotating counter-clockwise, looking at Fig. 1, will carry the bottles into a position to be forced into the screw II. This screw, due to its rotative movement, in a clockwise direction, will positively feed the bottles in a position to be picked up by the carrier star 2 of the crown mechanism. After the crowns have been applied to the bottles, they are again picked up by the outfeed star 43 which removes .the bottles from the crowner and transfers them to suitable con-' veyor mechanism or to a position where they may be removed by the operator.

The crowning mechanism is adapted to handle bottles of different sizes, that is, pint sizes, quart sizes, and the like. However, in order tohandle bottles of different sizes, it is necessary to use a different size feed screw II. If it becomes 'neces-j 'sary to change from one size feed screw to another, all that is required is to release the screw M which will thenjpermit the shaft I5 to be pulled out through the rear end of the housing i I from the feed screw. The feed screw can then be removed from the housing through its open side- Therefore, when it is desired to change screws, the bolt 39 is removed and the clamping bolts 35 loosened Under these circumstances, the entire housing I3 may be swung on the axis of the shaft 23 toward the axis of the disci so that the shaft II will clear the spider gear 4 when the shaft I2 is pulled out.

In addition to the guides 6 and 1, I'provide a;

hinge guide 44 hinged at 44' and adapted to operate a control valve 45 controlling an air pressure clutch for connecting the driving mechanism of the filling machine with its driving motor. In event the crowning apparatus is driven a little slower than the bottle filling machine, there tainers in spaced relation to said star dial, and a rotary transfer dial for receiving and delivering the bottles to said screw, said screw being in tangential relation to said transfer dial.

2. The combination with a container handling machine including a rotating star dial for moving the containers through the path of the machine,

a feed disk associated with said star dial, of a' housing extending radially of said star dial and having a side opening adjacent to said disk,

bearings in the opposite ends of said housing, a bevel gear having a hub journal in the outer bearing of said housing, a shaft extending through said hub and having its opposite end journaled in the bearing in theinner end of said housing, a

feed screw carried by said shaft within said housing, said feed screw being detachably'and drivingly connected with said shaft, said shaft being detachably and drivingly connected with said beveled gear hub whereby said shaft may be .axiallyremoved through the end of said housing and-means for driving said beveled gear.

3. The combination with a container handling machine including a rotating star dial for moving the containers through the path of said machine and a rotating feeding disk for said dial, of an elongated housing extending radially of said dial having an open side adjacent to said feeding disk, bearings in the oppositeends of said housing, a bevel gear journaled in'the outer bearing, a shaft extending through said bevel gear, a bevel gear in said housing meshingf'with said first mentioned bevel gear, a feeding screw detachably and drivingly connected with'said shaft and carried thereby within said housing, a detachable driving connection between said first mentioned bevel gear and said shaft wherebysaid shaft may be axially removed'through thehub. of Said gear, a supportfor said housing and means for. swingably moving said housing adjacent its outer end on said support. I

51. The combination with a container handling machine including a table, a vertically extending driving shaft for said machine extending through said table, a rotating star dial carried by said ing gear carried by said shaft and disposed be-' shaft and disposed above said table, and a drivlow said table, of a housing arranged above said table and extending radially of said star dial,

would be a tendency for the bottles to crowd up at the point they enter the feed screw and establish a jam to prevent a feed to the filling machine. Under these circumstances, the bottle guide 44 would be swung on its pivot operating the valve 45 3 to disconnect the air controlledclutch, thus disconnecting the filling machine from its driving mechanism and stopping the same or, by causa driving shaft mounted within said housing hav-- ing a feed screw thereon, a bevel gear drivingly connected with said shaft, a vertical shaft mounted adjacent the edge of said table having a bevel gear meshing with said first bevel gear, said housing being horizontally swingable on the axis of said vertical shaft and an idler gear disposed beneath said tableand meshing with the drivinggear of said vertical shaft .and with the driving shaft gear whereby said feeding screw is synchronously driven with said stardial.

5. The combination with a container handing machine including a table, a vertically extending driving shaft for said machine extending through said table, a rotary star dial carried by said shaft disposed above said table and a driving gear carried by said shaft and disposed below said table,

' of a housing disposed above said table and ramachine including a table, a, vertically extendingdriving shaft for said machine extending through said table, a rotary star dial carried by said shaft and disposed above said table, and a driving gear carried by said shaft and disposed below said table, of a housing open on its inner and upper faces mounted adjacent the edge of said table and extending below the plane of said'table, bearings in said housing, a vertically disposed shaft mounted in said bearings, a beveled gear mounted in the upper end of said second mounted shaft and a driving gear mounted thereon below the plane of said table, a driving train between said last mentioned driving gear and the driving gear of the star dial shaft, a horizontally disposed housing normally radially disposed with respect to the star dial and swingable in a horizontal plane on the first mentioned housing, a shaft carried in said horizontally disposed housing, a beveled gear drivingly meshing with said first mentioned beveled gear and a feeding screw carried by said shaft within said housing.

JAMES KANTOR. 

